Don't let them escape

A look at the top running backs for the 2005 fantasy football season:

September 05, 2005|By Jason Lauren, Special to the Tribune.

1. Top choice

LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego: The Charger is as consistent as a dripping faucet. He has scored a touchdown in 26 of San Diego's last 30 games. He's also one of the better receiving backs in the league, making him a popular choice as the No. 1 overall pick.

2. Underrated

Tiki Barber, N.Y. Giants: Nobody had more total yards than Barber and only two had more TDs last season, yet he's not on many top-10 running back lists. He should find the end zone often, facing a schedule this year that gave up the second most rushing TDs last season.

3. Sleeper

Kevin Jones, Detroit: All the preseason hype has been focused on Willis McGahee. Jones will be better, mainly because he has a better supporting cast around him. He recorded 1,025 total yards in his last eight games and scored four TDs in his last five starts last season.

4. Off the radar

J.J. Arrington, Arizona: The Cardinals will give the speedy rookie a chance to shine with no serious competition on the bench. Arrington, who led the nation last season with 2,018 yards (7.0 yards per carry), should break plenty of big runs with his breakaway speed of 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash, best among running backs at the scouting combine.

5. Bust

Fred Taylor, Jacksonville: Taylor appears to have regained his "Fragile Fred" nickname. After having off-season knee surgery, it's questionable if he'll be effective at the start of the season.